mind you, the conversion from my personal DVD to a wmv file was done in a hurry and this clip also misses a look at the hole in the canvas, a shot we took the following day...last not least, in the future you may see video clips with better quality from me...at that time my own camera was broken and I had to use the more simple device of my wife...nevertheless: enjoy

actually, my wife was scared to death - and so were most of the other folks on the vehicle...not so the driver: afterwards he said that yes, he saw the passengers on the ride side of the truck move to the left (away from the elephant) but he thought they did so because they had seen something interesting on this other (left) side, he never thought it was because the elephant was approaching

My Aunt was also very scared of the elephants though they are her favourire animals. I bought her a cartoon postcard on her first visit showing an ellie sitting on a car and people and cars scattering and it read something like "how the animals control numbers or keep numbers down!"

Any way Aunt has been infected quite successfully with the KNP virus and love visiting!

Our Dec '06 visit at Shingwedzi was also a very adventurous one. We got lost on the Redrocks driving in the wrong direction (the new map-book we bought was wrong) and started running late for gate closing time. After scratching out the old map book and seeing where our mistake was, we started traveling back towards camp. That was when we encountered a whole family of elephants on both sides of the road. Now usually we do not attempt to pass in the middle, but this time we had no choice with the sun going down.

My SO slowly started driving and the ellies were not impressed. A few broke branches while the rest were staring at us. We didn’t know should we give foot or just carry on passing slowly in the middle. Slowly we carried on and as soon as we thought, Ok we are safe, then more ellies appeared on the sides. That was when my daughter looked back and saw a huge ellie chasing after us. Trumpetering and flapping ears in a cloud of dust. Again, give foot or carry on slowly with loads of ellies next to us, in front of us and one chasing behind us? Believe it or not we carried on slowly, I think it was more a state of shock that made SO freeze. As we passed the last ellies that were in front of us all of us screamed: “DRIVE!!”, the ellie behind us were by this time meters away from our bumper…

Well we made it out safely although we were in shock for days after the ordeal. Since then my SO refuse to pass an ellie on the side of the road, even in the South.

Those maps can be very misleading! Two years ago I went down a clearly marked loop on the river road south of Letaba. I was faced with a herd either side of the road but since none was actually right on the road side, decided to carry on. Always a bit tense doing this but all was OK. Imagine my feelings when the loop turned out to be a dead end after a kilometer or so, knowing that the herd might still be there. And they were!

Having said that, we should remind new visitors to the Park that, though great care should be taken around elephants, they are nearly always no problem. I can remember very clearly driving out of the Kanniedood hide, stopping to look at a bird, when a friend looked the other side of the car to see an elephant inches from the road, completely indifferent to our presence. Mind you we did not stay long!

I've had the odd grumpie ele down south. Had one charge us south of Satara as I was doing a 3-point turn to get a photo. The car was facing into a bush and I was just about to reverse when the ele charged.

I have heard from various bushwise KNP rangers that if you are first at a certain location , the elephants will generally avoid you .These guys came up close to our campsite on the Crocodile river last Tuesday morning where I had the priviledge of camping with current and ex trails rangers at the Wilderness trails 30th anniversary event . I was photographing them earlier away from the tents and vehicles suddenly some of them appeared around a bush from the "wrong" side and sauntered up close , seemingly unpeterbed by me . Had I have been alone I would have been petrified !

KNP is sacred.I am opposed to the modernisation of Kruger and from the depths of my soul long for the Kruger of yesteryear! 1000+km on foot in KNP incl 56 wild trails.200+ nights in the wildernessndloti-indigenous name for serval.

This is amazing. I am wondering how I would have felt if I was there. I am sure I will look like this and this . As all know that had a browse through this topic is that I am @@##$%%% scared of the ellies, but even though I am scared i am also amazed by their beauty and their presense.

These are truely the most amazing pictures that I have seen. Well done.

OOOHHHH! And some interesting information on the 4th of October the battle at Kruger (from the vid on you tube) is being broadcasted on National geographic here in Australia. It is whole analyses of the whole battle with the lions and buff's and croc. I can not wait to see it. This weekend there is no time for sport on TV, hubby will have to wait!

I was just over 1 year old when I was introduced to the Kruger... And since never stopped going.... Yeah, the Ellies.... if you don't have some fear, you most probably don't have respect either for the silent giants... I can tell many a story of many a Ellie... but today I will share the one of last year.... Unfortunately I need to give some background....

We left early for Phabeni Gate.... Me, Dad and Mom..... Driving enjoying "our" piece of heaven.... The chat in car was about The Ozzie Crocodile Hunter who passed away the week earlier while doing what he loved so much (Irvin)... so the three of us deciced if we have to die, we would love doing it in "our" bush... Not tragically, just silently passing away next to a waterhole... you understand what I mean.....

We saw the youngster Ellie on the left, and immediately started looking for the family, as he was much to young to be alone... passed the Ellie slowly... and then all hell broke loose.... As if in Jurassic Park the bushes started moving from the right, about 100m infront of us.... They stopped in the middle of the road..Mommy and the elder two siblings... now juvenile is behind us... not good... never come between Mommy and her babies.....!!!!! Mommy gives one load Elle command, in such away that the 3 uf us are not uttering a word... The Volvo becomes to small for us as we bundle togeter in the middle....Juvenile responds instantly!!!!.... My poor elderly dad is listening to commands from two histerical women, we ended up completely of the road, youngster charging ears flat, trunk straignt ahead and trumpeting back to Mommy... He passed our now bush Volve within 1 meter from us.... In total shock, still not knowing what we did wrong, as we are seasoned travellers to the Kruger, the nerves turned into much relieved laughs.... and as the small group reunited infront of us... who passes... about 20m behind them.... a beautiful lioness...

Everything is starting to make sense to us now, so we assume their paths must have crossed.... We are in the clear laughing because, just there we actually thought we could die the way we would love to.... but the best was yet to come, as the Ellies rushed off into the bush we drove to find the lioness... and yes, there they were, yes THEY....she started calling them and they appeared out of nowhere.. 2 cubs.... so both the mothers were rushing towards their babies.....

Bottom line, we've been going there for years.... seen plenty Ellies, but never, never let you guard down.... Nature is unpredictable... Have respect, and you will enjoy the Mighty One's....

I'm am scared like hell of the big buggers! We've had a few mock charges, but nothing serious, probably because I never allow time to stick around and see if it's going to turn real! hehehehe

Don't go to Shingwedzi if you're so scared of them. We were there in June and it was horrible! The bush is so dense that 80% of the time we were surrounded by them and didn't even know it untill the tree nxt to us started going down and I hit the gass.... I was a nervous reck and beer was all that kept me at bay, hehehehehe!!